


The 1st Date

by reiley



Series: Torchwood Jack/Ianto Ficlets [7]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Episode: s02e01 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-15
Updated: 2013-02-15
Packaged: 2017-11-29 09:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/685286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reiley/pseuds/reiley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>before, during, and after that first date</p>
            </blockquote>





	The 1st Date

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted 01/21/08

* * *

“Everything is clean, fed, put away, or shut off for the night and Owen was the last to leave, so I’ll just…” Ianto trails off, stepping just inside the door to Jack’s office.

“Owen? Really?”

“He seems to have discovered his work ethic while you were away.” Ianto smiles thinly, and leans against the doorframe. “Mostly, he just likes to finish things at night so he doesn’t have to come in early and do it in the morning.”

“Right.” Jack nods and turns back to his computer. He gestures with his hand. “Come here a second.”

Pushing away from the door, Ianto crosses the room to Jack’s desk. He’s been back three days now and, apart from their short time in that office building, they’ve not really been alone together once. Ianto stands back beside Jack’s chair, crossing his arms, and leans forward over Jack’s shoulder. He peers at the monitor for a moment before asking, “What am I meant to be looking at?”

“Nothing.” Jack’s arms wind their way around Ianto’s waist and he buries his face in the soft fabric of Ianto’s dark purple shirt. He’s missed this. Not just the touch, or the smell, but the closeness with another human being. He’s missed Ianto.

“Jack,” he whispers, feeling somewhere between nervously uncomfortable and uncomfortably aroused. They haven’t so much as touched since Jack’s return and it wasn’t supposed to happen like this again. Ianto swore to himself that he wouldn’t let it. But just as his resolve is crumbling, Jack pulls away and smiles up at him.

“So.” Jack grabs a folded section of newspaper from a pile on his desk and shows it to Ianto. He points to a column and a segment circled in red pen. “What have you heard about this movie? I thought… maybe tomorrow night?”

Trying to hide his smile and, embarrassingly, the blushing, Ianto takes a closer look at the paper. “Oh.”

“What?” Jack glances between the paper and Ianto’s profile. “Not good?”

“No, it is.” He turns his head to face Jack, but has to look away again. “It’s just… ah, Tosh and I saw that last week.”

“Oh.” Jack looks disappointed, but then something clicks in his brain and he’s not sure if it’s ludicrous or if he’s so stupid for having never even thought of the possibility. “Oh?”

Jack can hide a lot, more than anyone else Ianto has ever met, but not that look on his face. He smiles, reassuringly. “She’s a good friend.”

“Right.” Immediately he’s embarrassed for asking.

“Besides, I believe she’s still hung up on someone else.” At Jack’s questioning look, Ianto mouths, _Owen_. He says, almost too quietly to hear, “As was I.” He flushes and turns his face away, continuing, “We’ve been spending a lot of time together, actually. Formed our own little club. The ‘I’m still single because everyone dies or leaves or just plain isn’t interested’ club. Owen currently meets the criteria to join, but then we wouldn’t be able to talk about him behind his back anymore. Unless we did it in Japanese and then he’d just accuse us of talking about him and get drunk and surly and it would take all the fun out of it.” He stops rambling abruptly and there’s a tense silence between them.

Instead of addressing any of that, because it’s too much and too soon and there is so much he could say but shouldn’t and should say but can’t, Jack changes back to their original topic. “Um, well, how about this one? Can’t go wrong with Johnny Depp, right?”

Turning back, Ianto glances at the paper. “It’s a musical.”

“I like musicals.”

“And I’ve heard it’s rather bloody.”

Jack grins, “I think I can handle it.”

“Alright.” Ianto nods. “Sounds good then. What time is it on?” he asks quickly, still trying to breathe.

“Nine? So, maybe dinner at seven-thirty then? I was thinking that place down by the wharf, uh, the Italian one. I always liked it. They do really good desserts… What?”

“Ehm, that place is gone, was shut down about a month ago.” Ianto looks almost apologetic as he shrugs. “I believe it’s a Starbucks now.”

“Oh. Damn. O for two. I’m not very good at this, am I?”

“Why don’t you let me make a reservation somewhere? I could do it now.”

“No, no. I can do it. Just tell me what you like. I asked you and, if I remember correctly, the asker does the planning and the askee just shows up and looks pretty… Er, handsome? Sexy?” Jack falters under that gaze. How has he lived so long and done so much and no one else has this effect on him? He tries again, “The askee looks however he pleases and the asker is just grateful that he showed up at all?”

Finally, Ianto cracks a smile. “Here.” He turns the computer screen his way and types quickly. “This place is good. It even has a sample list of the menu and there’s the number to make reservations. They don’t book up too quickly during the week so tomorrow should be fine.” He looks down into Jack’s eyes and that was a mistake because now he can’t look away. “I’ll, um, I should be…”

“Yeah. I can handle this now that you’ve done all the work.” Jack chuckles, nervously, a sound that isn’t right coming from him. Ianto starts to move away, but Jack grabs his hand and brings it to his lips. “Thanks.” He places a tiny kiss on Ianto’s knuckles. “For saying yes.”

“It’s… Goodnight, Jack.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow around seven-ish, then?”

“Sure. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning here. Work, remember?”

“Right.” Jack waves at this, biting his lip a little. “Goodnight, Ianto.”

 

* * *

 

Ianto opens the door and stares at Jack. “You’re early.” 

“That’s bad?”

“Uh… no. I just didn’t expect you early. I’ve never seen you wear that before.”

“It’s new. No good?”

“No.” Ianto shakes his head. “I mean, yes, it’s very… good. You look good.” He clears his throat and tries not to roll his eyes at his own nervousness. “Shall we go then? Did you walk here?”

“Uh, yeah. It’s not far and it’s nice out tonight. Thought we’d be environmentally friendly and walk. That OK?”

“Yes. Fine.” Ianto closes and locks his door and steps out into the night with Jack. They walk side-by-side for a time in silence.

Jack speaks first. “You look good, too. I meant to say that earlier.”

“Um, thanks.” Ianto flushes, never been good at receiving compliments.

“You’re wearing jeans. That’s different.”

“Yeah. Thought I’d do something… different. This place isn’t very formal.” He glances to Jack. “But it’s really good. Just casual. But not too casual…” He stops talking, thinking, _God, I hate dating._

“It sounds perfect. And I always trust your judgment. I like you in jeans, by the way.” Hesitantly, Jack reaches for Ianto’s hand, fingers just brushing lightly. Ianto looks down at their hands then up to Jack’s eyes and smiles. Jack swings their joined hands a little, a bounce in his step. He looks up into the sky. “Hey, full moon. Too bad we can’t see many stars here in the city.”

“Too many lights. Have you ever been there?” The question came out too quickly. Jack stares at him. “The moon, I mean.”

“Oh,” Jack grins. “Not this one. But Martha told me a great story about how she met the Doctor…” he trails off, watching the expression on Ianto’s face. He wasn’t avoiding the question, not diverting attention from himself. He won’t do that anymore and he needs Ianto to know that. The other man smiles encouragingly and nods for him to continue. Jack’s smile broadens again. “Well, see she was training in this hospital in London and met a very strange new patient. And then it started to rain…”

~~~

“OK. That film was…”

“Bloody.”

“Yeah.”

“I told you.”

“I wasn’t complaining. Just wondering how they do that onstage without splattering the audience.”

“I think they may have added that to the film version, Jack.” 

“I'm sorry. I didnt know what it was about when I suggested it.”

Ianto cuts him off with a wave of his hand. “I knew. It's fine.” He chuckles and looks down when he realizes that Jack is holding his hand again. “There was a bit more singing than I generally care for, though.”

“It’s a musical.”

“You said you liked musicals.”

“Yeah, but I’d have seen something else if you don’t like musicals.”

“I don’t _not_ like musicals. Just…” Ianto shrugs, squeezing Jack’s hand. He glances at his watch. It’s almost midnight, but he doesn’t want the night to end yet.

“So, I guess it’s getting late then?”

“Oh, I…” Ianto silently curses. “Um, I guess. Work in the morning.” They’ve stopped walking and he can’t help but stare down at the pavement. Looking back up to Jack, he grins. “Though, we’ve pulled later nights than this before.”

“Ianto…”

“No. Right.” He starts to pull away, but Jack’s grip on his hand tightens.

“I wanted to do this right. I wanted to do one thing right, for once. I just… Oh, hell. Dates aren’t supposed to feel this awkward, are they?”

“Actually, in my experience, first dates are always awkward and nerve racking.” Ianto laughs, flatly. “So, really, we’re right on track there.”

“Even if it’s with someone you already know fairly well?”

“I think I could debate that one for a while,” Ianto replies, a wan smile on his face.

“Yeah.” Jack sighs, looking down at their joined hands again. “But that’s what this was supposed to be about. Right? The whole getting-to-know-you bit, instead of doing everything backwards or sideways or whatever it was before, because I don’t want it to be like that again and I know you don’t, either. And, OK, I’ve missed you and it’s been a _really_ long time, but I want you to know I wasn’t just going to jump right back into bed with you-”

“Jack.” Ianto stiffens, grabbing the other man by the arms and hauling him into the alley beside the cinema, pushing him up against the wall.

Surprised, Jack gasps a laugh and grins. “Or we could, if you insist.”

Ianto ignores this, looking back over his shoulder. “Do you have cuffs on you? Anything?”

“Uh, is this really the place-”

“Weevils.” Ianto turns back to him, eyes wide, yet exasperated and amused all at once. He grabs Jack’s chin and turns his head. Off on the other side of the street are two weevils that appear to be raiding rubbish bins. “We should do something before someone gets hurt. I don’t have anything with me and there’s no time to go back to the hub.”

With a sigh, Jack slumps a little before straightening up and pushing away from the wall. “This is just not fair. But hey,” he produces his gun and only one set of handcuffs from somewhere inside his coat. “I wasn’t a boy scout, but I’m always prepared.”

~~~

“OK.” Jack wipes his hands on his new trousers after shutting the cell door. “That was not the kind of rigorous physical exertion I’d been hoping for tonight.”

Ianto cocks an eyebrow at him, but says nothing. Jack almost apologizes, but then he doesn’t, because that was the truth. When they reach the tourist information desk Jack realizes he’s walked Ianto all the way to the door, granted the wrong door, but it definitely is the signal for the end of the night.

“So… I guess this is good night?”

“Yeah.” Ianto pauses and turns to face him. Neither man moves.

“See you tomorrow?” Jack doesn’t know why it comes out as a question. Barring any world-ending catastrophes, they will see each other tomorrow. Or sooner, now that he’s thinking about it, if there are any possibilities of the world ending. His mind shuts up when Ianto’s warm lips meet his, hands clutching at his new shirt, dragging him closer. He can feel everything. Every breath, every heartbeat, every inch of Ianto Jones pressed against him. He exhales as their lips part, “Ianto.”

“Come home with me.”

~~~

Ianto wakes and it’s still dark. He rolls over in bed, reaching out to find the space next to him empty. He sits up sharply. “Jack?”

“I’m right here.”

Across the room, Ianto can make out the silhouette of a man behind the curtains sitting in the bay window of his bedroom. “What are you doing? Other than giving all my neighbors a free show.”

Jack chuckles, turning back to the room. “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to wake you.”

Ianto relaxes back into the pillows behind his head. “Come here.”

When Jack stands, the light from the moon outside glides over his naked body at just the right angles, highlighting his strong thighs, muscular chest, and just a tiny bit of his face. He crawls into the bed, curling into Ianto’s body once more. Ianto slides his arms around Jack and pulls him tight. He rests his head against the soft flesh of Jack’s belly, squeezing his eyes shut as he shivers. Jack’s hand in his hair slows Ianto’s breathing until he feels the whelming panic attack subside.

“Shh. I’m here.” He feels Ianto nod his head and hold him just a little bit tighter. “You know, I didn’t plan this.”

Ianto snorts. “Do you ever actually _plan_ anything?”

“Hey,” he admonishes with a light tap to Ianto’s shoulder then rubs his hands over the spot and lower onto the smooth skin of his back. “I just meant… I was serious before. About doing this right.”

“And it was, Jack.” Ianto lifts his head and looks up at him. “It was good. It was… You actually talked. I mean, you’ve always talked, but you actually _said_ something this time. I never knew… so many things about you.”

“There’s a lot more.”

“I know.”

“You’re not going to like all of it.”

“I know. We have time.”

* * *


End file.
